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What was the demographic of your childhood street?
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Gladys Rd, Bearwood. Infant & Junior School at top of our road, Thimblemill baths at the bottom. Late Victorian and Edwardian terraced houses with entries.
In the 1960s there were not too many families with young children. But girls turned skipping ropes across the street, lads played football and we all used bikes and scooters to ride down the hill.
A mix of owner occupiers and rented houses. My own circumstances were poor as dad had died. We had coal fires and one cold tap with an outside toilet. But plenty of people lived in worse conditions. Mom took me to Ladywood when demolition was in progress.
In the 1960s there were not too many families with young children. But girls turned skipping ropes across the street, lads played football and we all used bikes and scooters to ride down the hill.
A mix of owner occupiers and rented houses. My own circumstances were poor as dad had died. We had coal fires and one cold tap with an outside toilet. But plenty of people lived in worse conditions. Mom took me to Ladywood when demolition was in progress.
Atlantic Road Kingstanding. Part of the massive 1930s housing development.
A mix of young families, don't remember many senior residents in the 1950s although there must have been a fair share. I think the houses were mostly intended for young families buying their first home. Ours was originally a two bedroomed house, made into a 3 bed house by carving out a section off the front bedroom, above the hallway. A local neighbour (who was a builder) must have made a tidy profit doing this. He did ours. Mum and Dad bought it as a two bedroomed house in the 1940s. Dad would have just come out of the RAF.
Most men were working, some recently having left military service. I remember seeing men set off for work wearing a beret and carrying a canvas shoulder bag (a hangover from military service ?). I suspect many were skilled workers, in factories like Kynochs, Tufnol and George Ellison (where my dad was, post-WW2, employed as an electrical engineer). Most women were housewives. My mum was an exception, always worked, mostly managing shops.
Almost all the kids went to the local primary school (Cranborne Road/Kingsthorn Junior). A few neighbour friends and I progressed to grammar school. I expect their families like mine were in a position to afford the expensive school uniform. Having said that, I know mum also used the 'Provident' to buy school uniform items.
Thankfully, money never seemed to be especially tight. Possibly because my mum always worked. Pre-school, in the early morning, I was sent off to a childminder (also a school nurse) a few doors up to make it possible for mum to work.
I was a 'latchkey' kid. Rarely was anyone home when I got back from school. And I was the person who started cooking the evening food so it was on its way when the rest of the family came home. (Mum always prepped it in her lunch break - she usually worked locally).
I was brought up to aim to support myself and to aim for a skilled, white collar job, whether I married or not. They had aspirations for me; my Dad thought I should go into computing, my Mum wanted me to be an air hostess ! Maybe they regarded these jobs as a step up from theirs.
Even early on I had Saturday jobs and summer/winter school/college break jobs for my own spending money. I never questioned this expectation. It was likely it was felt important adult work preparation and in any case, I actually wanted to do it. All my friends did so.
We never had a car. I think that was by choice. My dad could drive but chose to drive motorbikes. A few neighbours had a car. The houses were built with rear access, some had garages, so there was an expectation by the house builders for families to own a car.
The local shopping parade had all the usual retailers like Boots, Littlewoods, Woolworths, Foster Bros, Lathams, Geo Masons, several butchers, grocers, furniture shops, pet shop, hairdressers, independent dress shops (generally pricey), hardware, a laundrette and garage/petrol station. So catering to a cross section of needs. Quite a few shops were small independently run, others were chains. There was also a fishing tackle shop, a nursery (garden) and wool shops, so possibly there was an expectation that families would have time (and disposable spending) for hobbies.
Lots of opportunities were available by the 1960s, for socialising such as via clubs, church related functions, and at the Birmingham Settlement. Mum and dad never went to these (don't know why). The Settlement was vital in providing young people with things to do. I went to Sunday School there (free) and to dance classes (charged for).
A mix of young families, don't remember many senior residents in the 1950s although there must have been a fair share. I think the houses were mostly intended for young families buying their first home. Ours was originally a two bedroomed house, made into a 3 bed house by carving out a section off the front bedroom, above the hallway. A local neighbour (who was a builder) must have made a tidy profit doing this. He did ours. Mum and Dad bought it as a two bedroomed house in the 1940s. Dad would have just come out of the RAF.
Most men were working, some recently having left military service. I remember seeing men set off for work wearing a beret and carrying a canvas shoulder bag (a hangover from military service ?). I suspect many were skilled workers, in factories like Kynochs, Tufnol and George Ellison (where my dad was, post-WW2, employed as an electrical engineer). Most women were housewives. My mum was an exception, always worked, mostly managing shops.
Almost all the kids went to the local primary school (Cranborne Road/Kingsthorn Junior). A few neighbour friends and I progressed to grammar school. I expect their families like mine were in a position to afford the expensive school uniform. Having said that, I know mum also used the 'Provident' to buy school uniform items.
Thankfully, money never seemed to be especially tight. Possibly because my mum always worked. Pre-school, in the early morning, I was sent off to a childminder (also a school nurse) a few doors up to make it possible for mum to work.
I was a 'latchkey' kid. Rarely was anyone home when I got back from school. And I was the person who started cooking the evening food so it was on its way when the rest of the family came home. (Mum always prepped it in her lunch break - she usually worked locally).
I was brought up to aim to support myself and to aim for a skilled, white collar job, whether I married or not. They had aspirations for me; my Dad thought I should go into computing, my Mum wanted me to be an air hostess ! Maybe they regarded these jobs as a step up from theirs.
Even early on I had Saturday jobs and summer/winter school/college break jobs for my own spending money. I never questioned this expectation. It was likely it was felt important adult work preparation and in any case, I actually wanted to do it. All my friends did so.
We never had a car. I think that was by choice. My dad could drive but chose to drive motorbikes. A few neighbours had a car. The houses were built with rear access, some had garages, so there was an expectation by the house builders for families to own a car.
The local shopping parade had all the usual retailers like Boots, Littlewoods, Woolworths, Foster Bros, Lathams, Geo Masons, several butchers, grocers, furniture shops, pet shop, hairdressers, independent dress shops (generally pricey), hardware, a laundrette and garage/petrol station. So catering to a cross section of needs. Quite a few shops were small independently run, others were chains. There was also a fishing tackle shop, a nursery (garden) and wool shops, so possibly there was an expectation that families would have time (and disposable spending) for hobbies.
Lots of opportunities were available by the 1960s, for socialising such as via clubs, church related functions, and at the Birmingham Settlement. Mum and dad never went to these (don't know why). The Settlement was vital in providing young people with things to do. I went to Sunday School there (free) and to dance classes (charged for).
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devonjim
master brummie
What do todays youngsters do for such jobs Few papers delivered, virtually no milk and bread deliveries. Shops very much on the decline.